Horsemaster and Wild Mage
by Sweet Sassy Sarah
Summary: Written for the August challenge at the Tamora Pierce Experiment: Writing Challenges. Just a little getting together of two canon characters. Takes place very post-Trickster.


A/N: I'm not anywhere near convinced this is my best work. It's unbeta'd and mostly rough. I kind of just hammered it out of my brain. Despite that, I kind of, sort of fell in love with this pairing while I was writing this, and this might end up as a multichaptered story. One day. If people want to see it. We'll see. This was done for the August Challenge over at The Tamora Pierce Experiment: Writing Challenges. Link is in my profile. We would love to have you join us.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Tobe/Sarra pairing.

* * *

"But Lioness," Sarra whined.

Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau merely lifted a brow. "How old are you?"

Sarralyn Salmalín twisted her face into what could only be referred to as a pout. "Twenty."

"Twenty year old women with wild magic don't whine," Alanna said, and turned back to the sword she was cleaning.

"I just want to go out of the castle for a few days. I'm more than able to take care of myself out there. I'll even go with a guard." She hated having to explain herself and her choices to anyone. But since she'd been placed in the Lioness' care, Sarra was expected to do what the older woman wanted.

Generally, Sarra did what she pleased, and her parents supported that choice; Daine and Numair Salmalín could hardly dissuade Sarra from adventuring without being hypocritical. But ever since she'd been injured while in the form of a crow and nearly died, the adults who knew her weren't taking any chances.

"You're still weak, you've got a sling on your arm, not to mention the scrapes and things." Alanna shook her head. "Not today, Sarra."

After thinking for a moment, Sarra looked at the Lioness. "May I go visit Rikash? He's back home for now." Her brother, two years younger, was the second-in-command for one of the Rider Groups.

Alanna nodded. "Be back by supper, though.

"Must I?" Sarra asked. "I'd rather see Rikash. It's been months."

"Be back by supper or I'll assume you've disobeyed my orders," Alanna said placidly, but her violet eyes, when she turned them on Sarra, were harsh.

"Yes, Lioness." Sarra hurried out to the barracks that housed the Queen's Riders, and let out a sharp whistle when she saw a familiar head of dark hair.

Rikash turned around and started beaming when he caught sight of his sister. He was six inches taller than her, with the same black hair as Sarra and their da although Sarra's was curly like their ma's. He had their ma's blue eyes, where Sarra's were dark as Numair's. "Sarra!" Rikash shouted, and jogged over to her, catching her up in his arms.

"Hello, brother," Sarra replied, kissing his cheek. He made a face and let her down.

"What happened to your arm? Ma and Da said something about you being injured when I saw them last, but they didn't go into specifics."

Sarra shrugged. "Scouting gone wrong," she said simply.

"More than that, if you're still in a sling," he observed, raising an eyebrow.

Sarra waved a hand around. "I'll tell you later. For now, I'm in the Lioness' care, and I'll have disobeyed direct orders by staying here for supper."

Rikash let out a hiss in sympathy. Alanna was one of his favorite people, but she was abrasive, there were no two ways about it. "I was just going to the stables to tend my ponies. Come and explain yourself there."

Sarra nodded and walked with him to the Rider's stables. She'd been there plenty of times before, helping her mother. Because her wild magic was so strong, she was able to heal the half-tame ponies. She hadn't been here in a couple of years though, for she'd been traveling with her parents.

Rikash quickly lost himself in talking with his pony, a dun colored mare. His wild magic was not so strong as Sarra's, but he could talk to all manner of the People, what humans called animals.

Sarra glanced around at the other ponies, clucking at one who reached out to nip her. She reached out to lightly tap the gelding on the nose when she was startled by the hiss of a man who came walking up the center aisle just then. He was tall, with light blue eyes and blond hair with curls that went all over the place. He was dressed in a dark tunic and breeches, and carried no visible weapons. Sarra could see the strong copper core of someone with wild magic running through his veins.

"Sorry," she said, pulling her hand away at once.

The man's blue eyes flickered to her for a second, registering confusion before he smiled. "I was hissing at him, not at you. He knows better than to bite people." He seemed to examine her more closely. "Especially those with wild magic."

Rikash finally seemed to notice that someone else had arrived. He stood next to Sarra, a broad grin on his face. "Sarra, this is Tobe, the horsemaster now that Onua's gone."

Onua Chamtong of the K'miri Raadeh had given up her post as Rider horsemistress a few years before, claiming that she was too old to do it anymore. Those who knew her had laughed like it was a joke, but they'd let her pick her successor. This was him, apparently.

"Tobe, this is my sister, Sarralyn."

Sarra stuck out her hand. "Just Sarra."

Tobe smiled and took her hand in his, giving it a firm shake. Sarra blinked in confusion. She was used to men bowing over her hand, kissing her knuckles perhaps, not shaking it. She was even more surprised that he looked away from her at the gelding, laying a hand on the pony's neck. She knew she wasn't a beauty like Queen Thayet, but she wasn't ugly, either.

Before she lost herself in the utterly female part of her mind that was angry, she shook her head. "Rikash, I've got to get going," she said.

"Alanna said you could stay until supper," her brother protested. "And I haven't seen you in months."

"I've got a letter from Da waiting for me in my room, and I'm sure you've got your own letters from them that demand your attention." She looked at Tobe, who was still focused on the gelding. "Sir, it was nice meeting you."

Tobe looked up, a smile in his eyes that disconcerted her. "You, too."

Frustrated both by the fact that he wasn't flirting with her and that she was angry that he wasn't flirting with her, Sarra said, "Enjoy your evening with the ponies."

A corner of Tobe's lips turned up in a half smile. "Enjoy being stuck on palace grounds until you're completely healed."

Sarra was taken aback. How dare he speak to her like that! She didn't say anything more to either of the men, showing her back as she strode out of the stables, thoroughly confused.

Rikash shook his head; Sarra could change focus quicker than their da, and that was saying something. He looked at Tobe, who was also watching Sarra's retreating back. He grinned. "So that's my sister."

Tobe's gaze shot over to Rikash, and then he lifted a brow. He said nothing, only turned to the pony that Sarra had been standing near. He brushed a hand over the pony's neck.

Rikash held in a laugh. "She's not courting anyone," he said.

Tobe didn't move, and couldn't understand the ridiculous sense of relief that flooded into him with Rikash's words. "What makes you think that interests me?" he asked, moving down the aisle to check on a pony that had gotten a rock stuck in his hoof earlier in the day.

Rikash shrugged. "It was only a statement of fact. Nothing more." But he couldn't help his smile as he saw Tobe's eyes glaze over a little. The older man was clearly not focusing on the pony in front of him. Not right now, at least.

xXx

Sarra entered the suite of rooms belonging to Alanna the Lioness and her husband Baron George of Pirate's Swoop a few minutes later, trying not to scowl. She didn't even know why she cared about the Rider horsemaster.

She had plenty of suitors; she always had. She flirted with the young men around the castle. It didn't matter to her whether a man was a servant or a duke, as long as he treated her nicely. Despite the fact that her father was the most powerful mage in the realm and had once turned a man into a tree (or so her mother told her) and that her mother was the Wildmage who could turn into any animal at will, or get them to spy for her, young men flocked to Sarra.

The Lioness came into the room and raised her eyebrows at Sarra. "I thought you would be with Rikash until the last possible moment."

Sarra lifted her good shoulder in a shrug. She didn't say anything as she headed into the room she was staying in while she was in the Lioness' care. The older woman stopped her just before she got to the door.

"Does this have anything to do with a man?"

"Why would it?" Sarra asked, not turning around.

Alanna could see the answer in the set of Sarra's shoulders. "Who is it?"

"No one. He's no one."

"You don't care about that," Alanna murmured. Sarra finally turned around, and the Lioness saw far more than the girl wished her to. "Who is it?"

"Horsemaster for the Riders? Do you know him?"

"Tobe. He's Kel's adopted son." Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle had been the first girl to openly go for her shield in centuries. Alanna had been disguised as a boy throughout her eight years as a page and squire in the palace, with only a few knowing her identity.

"He is?"

Alanna nodded. "I've ridden with him occasionally, when I've got business with the Riders."

"And?"

"He's very focused on his job. That's probably one of the reasons why Onua chose him to replace her. Not to mention that he's got more wild magic than she does." The Lioness shrugged. "He doesn't talk much."

Sarra's brows lowered. The Lioness waited for an explanation, and Sarra knew she'd have to give one. "I met him when I went to see Rikash."

"And he flirted with you?" Alanna guessed.

"No! That's just it!" She started pacing. "He hardly even looked at me."

"You make some of the lads nervous, Sarra."

"He wasn't nervous," she said with conviction. "Not at all."

"Some are better at hiding it."

Sarra shook her head. "He wasn't nervous."

There was a knock at the door, and Alanna went to open it. Rikash stood on the other side. He hugged the Lioness and then turned to his sister. "Can we talk a second?"

Sarra nodded, and they went into Sarra's bedroom after excusing themselves to Alanna. "Are you okay?" Rikash asked, perching on her bed.

Sarra shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"He's interested in you. Tobe," Rikash clarified when Sarra looked at him like he had three heads.

"I doubt that."

Rikash shrugged. "You sound upset that he might not be."

"I doubt he is."

"See? You sound angry. Why are you angry that a man doesn't like you?"

"I'm not!" Sarra insisted, and started pacing around her room.

"Yes, you are. I know you, remember? You're upset that he wasn't flirting with you down in the stable, bowing over your hand and promising you the moon in exchange for a kiss." He mimed vomiting. "He's much older than you, Sarra. I'm not sure he would play the games that your regular suitors play."

"My suitors don't play games!"

Rikash raised an eyebrow. "One day you'll learn to listen to me. But I can see that it won't be today," he said archly. "Just try talking to him or something. You've got wild magic in common. It shouldn't be too hard."

xXx

Sarra found herself in the Rider stables the next day. She wasn't sure what to do or even how to start a conversation with Tobe. He wasn't like one of her usual suitors, Rikash had been right about that. She'd never had to do anything more than smile before they made conversation, but now? She was out of her element, and she didn't like it one bit.

Riders, men and women of varying ages, were wandering through the stables, and it took Sarra a while to locate the person she was looking for. He was sitting in an office with a stack of papers in front of him. His hair was tousled, like he'd been pulling on it recently.

"Hi," she said quietly, and his head snapped up.

"Sarra," he said, standing up before he could control himself. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure." She looked down and bit her lip, hoping against hope that he would say something. He didn't, just stood there watching her. Finally, she looked up at him, a blush on her cheeks as she told him, "I just wanted to see you, I suppose."

"Me?" She nodded, and he leaned against his desk. "Why me?"

She shifted uncomfortably, taking her gaze from his. He stared steadily at her, recognizing the fact that she had never needed to try with men, before. "Rikash said...he said that you might be..." She bit her lip again.

"Might be what?" Tobe prodded.

"Interested."

"In?"

"Me." Even in the dim light of his office, he could see the blush that started on Sarra's cheeks and spread over her neck.

Without realizing he was doing it, Tobe walked across the room and put his fingers under her chin, tilting her head up until her eyes met his. Dark gaze met light, and they just watched each other for a moment.

Sarra made the first move, again. She felt a little more confident, seeing the flags of color high on his cheeks. She stretched on her toes and pressed a light kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, she looked up at him nervously, waiting for his reaction.

A slow smile crossed his lips, and he cradled her face in his hands as he leaned in to kiss her.

* * *

A/N: There you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know in a review, please. Just your honest opinions. Thanks for reading and be sure to check out the Tamora Pierce Experiment: Writing Challenges!


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